From a paper cut to a scraped knee, a nose bleed to a head trauma, being prepared for any emergency is the best kind of medicine. Follow our First Aid Kit 101 to ensure you have the basics for any scenario.

You never know when you may need access to a variety of supplies, so we recommend having a few options of kits ready and on-hand. First Aid kits should be located in your home, in the car, as well a compact version to take on-the-go.

Home Kit

Pick up a pre-made Top Care® First Aid kit as a starter, or stock up on your own items and put together a homemade version. Grab a tackle box, plastic bin, or an unused tote bag; whatever is easiest for you to locate in the case of an emergency. However you choose to prepare, be sure to have the following:

Basic Supplies

Adhesive tape

Elastic wrap bandages

Bandage strips & “butterfly” bandages

Super glue

Antibiotic ointment

Antiseptic solution and towelettes

Thermometer

Instant cold packs

Disposable gloves

Petroleum jelly

Cotton balls and q-tips

Scissors and tweezers

Hydrogen peroxide

Syringe or spoon

Medications

Aloe vera gel

Calamine lotion

Anti-diarrhea medication

Laxative

Antacids

Antihistamine

Hydrocortisone cream

Cough and cold medications

Personal medications

Pain relievers (ibuprofen, acetaminophen, etc.

Travel Sized

Duplicate your most used and favorite on-hand items from your at home kit to condense into a travel friendly size. Use a small plastic container for a clear view at the contents inside as well as a spill-free option. We recommend having band-aids, pain reliever, and antibiotic ointment as a starting point. It also helps to take the items out of their packaging to make room for what you really need.

Car Friendly

Be sure to have a kit ready for any car emergency. A pre-made kit from Top Care® will fit perfectly in your glove-box or center console. Whether it’s you who is hurt in an accident, or witnessing one and being able to offer your assistance, a First Aid kit is a must for any mode of transportation.

Additional Notes:

Include any personal items like emergency numbers and medications your doctor may suggest.

Check your kit frequently, and go through expiration dates and be sure to replace any out-of-date supplies.

Thinking ahead is the best way to be prepared. There’s no time like the present to put together your first aid kit!

Utah has
experience a string of them recently. Fortunately, nothing major. This string
of rumbles doesn’t necessarily mean that the big one is going to happen any time
soon. But, it is highly likely that sometimein our lifetime—or our children’s lifetime—a major earthquake will occur.

It’s
easy to procrastinate the task of getting prepared when the inevitable seems so
far removed from our daily reality. But our reality can turn on a dime. It can
become devastating, scary, and quite possibly life-threatening.

During
last September’s National Preparedness Month, we posted a checklist of several
steps that should to be taken to help prepare your family. With mother nature’s
recent hints, we think now’s a good time to repost the checklist! Here you go:

Emergency Preparedness
Checklist

Establish
your family’s meeting place(s)

Make (and
practice) a home evacuation plan

Make a
list of nearby water sources

Create
an emergency contact phone list

Write
down your medications and put a couple of days’ worth in your emergency kit

Assign
responsibility for the bug-out kit(s), including food, water and gear

Assign
each pet a safety buddy

Today,
while it’s fresh on your mind, be sure to take these important steps to help
ensure your family’s safety. Being prepared can make all the difference if—or
when—something major comes your way.

And, be
sure to keep an eye out for this month’s Case
Lot Sales. They’re the perfect way to stock up on emergency preparedness
kits, long-term food storage, and emergency water.

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Macey’s
has teamed with Augason Farms to offer emergency food supplies and long term
food storage to our valued customers for good reason. They’ve been in the
business since 1972 and guarantee their products for great taste and superior
quality. Maintaining a supply of Augason Farms products in your home is ideal
not only for your emergency food supply but for everyday use as well. With
Macey’s and Augason Farms, preparedness is simple and affordable!

Prepared straight from the can. There’s a long-held believe that emergency food, soup included, is bland and is only to be eaten if it’s your last hope for nourishment. You can toss out that belief because Augason Farms soups are flavorful, hearty and nourishing when prepared straight from the can.

Jazzed up with more ingredients. Customize your soup to your heart’s content by adding things like freeze-dried cheese, freeze-dried chicken or beef (meat-free if you prefer), and freeze-dried vegetables—corn, peas, broccoli, onions or just about anything you have on hand.

Dolloped with dumplings. This is so easy to do with Augason Farm’s Buttermilk Pancake Mix. Just combine 1 cup of prepared Morning Moo’s® Low Fat Milk Alternative with about 2 cups pancake mix and stir until it’s a soft dough. After your soup has been simmering for about 10 minutes, drop dough by the spoonful into soup and cook on medium heat, uncovered, for an additional 10 minutes. Then, cover and reduce heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. That’s it, it’s super easy!

Totally reinvented. Like…turning your chili into a vegetable chili casserole. First, add Augason Farms Vegetable Stew Blend into chili and cook on stovetop, referring to instructions on chili can. Pour about 8 cups of prepared chili into greased baking dish. Next, create a top crust by dropping spoonful’s of dough (prepared the same as dumplings above) on top of chili and spreading evenly. Bake at 425°F for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. You may want to layer-in some cheese between the chili and crust before baking, it would be a yummy addition.

Beefed up with beanballs. We’re talking about adding meatless beanballs to your soup. Just form rehydrated Augason Farms Black Bean Burger mix into 1” balls and cook in lightly-oiled skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes per side. Add beanballs to your favorite soup as is, or crumble for a soup that’s infused with flavor and texture. Let beanballs simmer in soup until heated through. They’re particularly delicious in Creamy Potato Soup, but any soup works great.

This month, check out the savings on Augason Farms soups. They’re a versatile way to stay nourished and energized during winter storms and cold temperatures!

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Macey’s has teamed with Augason Farms to offer emergency food supplies and long term food and storage to our valued customers for good reason. Augason Farms has been in the business since 1972 and guarantee their products for great taste and superior quality. Stocking up on Augason Farms products is ideal not only for your emergency food and water supply but for everyday use as well. With Macey’s and Augason Farms, preparedness is simple and affordable!

Most people agree that creating a stockpile of emergency food storage and supplies is an important concept. However, once you start looking into detailed lists of all the recommended items, it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed with the budget aspect. The good news is there are a lot of easy ways to cut costs to building your emergency supply plan. It may take a longer time to create your 3-month supply, but your bank account won’t take a harder hit.

First, set up a list of the most important items to collect in your stockpile. Your list should include the following five things: water, food, lights (like flashlights), medical supplies and household and hygiene products. How you prioritize collecting those things is up to you, and obviously your timeline won’t be the same for all of those items. For example, you’ll probably be able to stockpile a 3-month’s supply of household and hygiene supplies before you complete your food supply, so you can work on different items simultaneously. Here are a few other ways that you can emergency prep while on a budget.

Create a Monthly Budget

Sit down with your family members and determine how much money you can dedicate to a realistic prepping budget. Possibly consider making little sacrifices throughout the month (eating out less, limiting your disposable income) to supplement your prepping. When you look at your prepping budget the same way as you look at home insurance or health insurance, it becomes easier to find some money.

Watch for Sales and Coupons

This doesn’t mean that you have to become a full-time extreme coupon clipper, but instead take advantage of sales that come up on a regular basis. Watch for shelf stable food items when you’re shopping at the grocery store and remember to take advantage of Case Lot sales each spring and fall. When items that your family regularly eats goes on sale, grab a few extra units of whatever it is and throw it in your storage. You’ll be surprised how quickly your food storage grows.

Develop Other Survival Skills

Learning a skill set is great way to compensate for a lack of prepping funds. For example, you may not be able to build up big food storage right away, but you can learn how to garden and stock up on vegetable seeds. Or, study up and learn everything you need to know about keeping chickens or goats, both of which can also become sustainable sources for food.

Remember, it’s not a sprint. You do not need to do everything at once, which is good news, since doing everything at once costs a lot (a lot!) of money. Just build supplies as you can, based on what you determine to be the most important in your household. Don’t be discouraged or give up! You’ll be pleased to see how quickly you can build your emergency food storage on even the tightest of budgets.

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Macey’s has teamed with Augason Farms to offer emergency food supplies and long term food storage to our valued customers for good reason. They’ve been in the business since 1972 and guarantee their products for great taste and superior quality. Maintaining a supply of Augason Farms products in your home is ideal not only for your emergency food supply but for everyday use as well. With Macey’s and Augason Farms, preparedness is simple and affordable!

You may have noticed that the disastrous emergency events of 2017 felt like a dress rehearsal for Armageddon. First it was the horrific hurricane that flooded Texas and the Gulf States, before the second hurricane arrived and destroyed just about everything on Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. And just when we were starting to get a grip on those massive disasters, the wild fires hit and burned thousands of acres of California. The fires were the most unexpected of our recent catastrophes, many leaving victims with only minutes to abandon their property before it was taken down in flames.

As tragic as these disasters have been and will continue to be, they have hopefully served as a lesson in making us all more aware of how important emergency preparedness is to our family’s security. Remember what the great statesman and inventor, Benjamin Franklin said about the subject, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” With that in mind, Augason Farms has compiled a list of 20 easy, yet crucial tips for making sure you’re ready for any emergency.

Create a family emergency evacuation plan. Make sure that everyone in your family understands two things: how to vacate your house or apartment in a safe way; and where you are to meet after evacuation. Your meeting place should identify two locations – one near your house and one that is outside of your neighborhood.

Make an emergency communications plan. Be sure that everyone identifies a person and their contact info that they can reach out to in the event of separation. Pick a friend, neighbor or relative that you all know and will all contact via phone or Internet to ensure everyone knows where all your family members are located.

Don’t forget your furry friend’s safety. You should make a plan to ensure all of your animals are going to be safe in an emergency. Things like checking to see if nearby emergency shelters will accept animals; being sure that your Vet’s contact information is listed on your emergency contact card; and finally, proactively store extra food and water in anticipation of your pet’s emergency needs.

Know your children’s school emergency plans. Obtain a copy of their plans and keep it with your emergency kit. Discuss the plans with your kids on a regular basis so that it is ingrained into their memory.

Rehearse your children’s personal information with them. If your children are young, be sure that they know their full name, address and phone number. Teach them how to use the 911 system and explain how important contacting help in an emergency can be.

Start and maintain an emergency food storage program. Regardless of your budget, you should start and maintain a supply of foods designed for emergency situations. You can start small and add more as your finances allow, but every home should have at least a three-day supply of food and water on hand at all times. For information about the kinds of emergency foods available and how easy they are to prepare, visit www.augasonfarms.com.

During March 2018, visit your local Associated Foods Store for aFREE CASE OF WATERwith the purchase of any Emergency Preparedness Kit valued over $25.

Make some “Bug Out” backpacks for quick evacuations. These small backpacks are filled with everything you need to survive for at least 72 hours. Emergency foods, water filtration bottle, duct tape, a premium First Aid kit, multi-tool, solar radio, cooking kit, emergency blankets, flashlight, toiletries and other items you deem necessary. Once you’ve compiled your kits, place them around your house in strategic places. Once you decide it’s time to evacuate, all you have to do is grab your bag and hit the road.

Keep your car’s gas tank at least half-full at all times. Since you never know when an emergency situation could arise, you can never be sure your local gas station will be open and pumping. Often, major refineries are forced to shut down during hurricanes and floods, reducing the amount of gas that’s available nationwide.

Keep some cash on hand to get you through the first week of a disaster. Some of the first things to go down during a hurricane or other weather related events are the ATM machines. And since most banks close during crisis situations, you cannot depend on them for your monetary needs. Experts recommend keeping at least $200 on hand (in small bills if possible) to cover your expenses for the first few days of any emergency event.

Keep extra medications in your go bags. You should keep some extra over the counter drugs (aspirin, nausea and anti-diarrheal pills, etc.) as well as any prescription medications anyone in your family is taking.

Learn where your utility shutoff valves are and how they work. Regardless of what type of place you live in, (house, apartment, condo, etc.) it’s important to know where your electric, gas and water shutoff valves are located. Be sure to keep any necessary tools required nearby and in a place that everyone in your family knows the location of in case they are the ones to turn everything off.

Buy insurance and document your valuables. Since an emergency can strike at any time, it’s good to preplan by having an updated homeowners or renters policy in force at all times. You should also take the time to photograph your valuable objects so there is no misunderstanding of what you need to replace with your insurance company’s adjuster. It will definitely help when you file your claims for storm damage, etc.

Keep your vaccinations up to date. From flu shots to tetanus, knowing your family’s vaccinations are up to date will give you piece of mind when you are facing the kind of conditions you may be forced to do during an emergency. Make sure you have a written record of all of your vaccinations. And, don’t forget your four-legged friends’ vaccines, either.

Get to know your neighbors. Through neighborhood associations, school events, etc. it’s important to know your neighbors and to encourage them to be prepared for an emergency too. When a real emergency strikes, it’s neighbors who will depend on each other to get through the first crucial hours or days.

Keep a pair of hard-soled shoes by your bed. You have at least a 30% chance that any emergency that hits suddenly will do so at night, so you need to get in the habit of performing some simple steps to help ensure your safety – hence, the hard-soled shoes. These will help reduce the chance of you stepping on broken glass or any other sharp objects you may incur when evacuating your home at night.

Place an emergency kit in your car. In addition to a flashlight, you should keep a small emergency kit in your car that contains some food and water, a small first aid kit, an emergency blanket and some waterproof matches. You can make your car kit much more inclusive, but just including these few, basic items will guarantee your car will always be a source of emergency assistance.

Take a first-aid/CPR class from your local Red Cross or YMCA. Knowing how to perform CPR or how to stop bleeding can be two lifesaving skills everyone should know. Don’t wait until you need to know these skills – be prepared by taking these classes now. Visit this site to find a class near you: http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr. You may also want to take the same classes for your four-legged friends too.

Keep photocopies of all your important papers in one central location. Make copies of your drivers licenses, passports, birth certificates, social security cards, insurance information and medical histories and keep them all together for easy access. Be sure to place these in your bug–out bag so they’ll go with you during an emergency evacuation.

You can never have too many working flashlights. By placing flashlights in different parts of your home (especially in your bedroom), you will always be able to see what you are facing and how to escape from immediate harm

Practice, practice, practice. It may sound silly, but in order to consider your family “emergency ready,” you’ve got to practice and discuss all the ways you will face an emergency together. Rehearse evacuating your house and meeting in your pre-designated convening area. Check your bug-out bags regularly and make sure all your water and food and medications contained within them are not outdated.

Macey’s has teamed with Augason Farms to offer emergency food supplies and long term food storage to our valued customers for good reason. They’ve been in the business since 1972 and guarantee their products for great taste and superior quality. Maintaining a supply of Augason Farms products in your home is ideal not only for your emergency food supply but for everyday use as well. With Macey’s and Augason Farms, preparedness is simple and affordable!

Be aware that not all crises are created equal. There are emergencies and there are EMERGENCIES!

The words “emergency” and “food storage” typically conjure up images of natural or manmade disasters. But there are lesser difficulties, as well as the big ones, where food storage can be a boon.

And Macey’s wants to let you in on this little known secret.

The most typical example of a lesser emergency would be when dinner plans suddenly and unexpectedly expand to feeding more mouths in a shorter period of time than planned: guests drop in without notice, or your husband brings his boss, coworkers or friends home for dinner . . . on very short notice.

What do you do? There’s no time to shop and little time for cooking. Yet, you will be judged by the quality of the meal you feel compelled to serve.

This is where the wonderful entrées and soups from Augason Farms—featured food storage items at Macey’s—come into play.

And this is the secret: They’re within easy reach in your food storage inventory, if you’ve done your homework. Keeping and ample supply of good food storage can help with those little (but really not-so-little) emergencies in life.

Augason Farms entrées are elegant and delicious, satisfying and nutritious. We suggest serving their Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo, Chili Macaroni with Beef or (yum) Beef Stroganoff. They are guaranteed guest pleasers!

But most of all, preparing them is easy and quick. If you are suddenly pressed for time, but you must offer top notch cuisine, these entrées are the perfect solution to your problem.

And here’s another secret.

Macey’s knows that there are some days when your get-up-and-go simply got-up-and-went. This is another of those small emergencies when Macey’s can come to you aid.

When, at the end of your long day, you find you have no time or energy left to prepare a large meal for those hungry mouths, you might want to consider the delightful, nutritious and pleasing soups, such as Creamy Potato or Cheesy Broccoli, from Augason Farms. These are all-time favorites and sure-fire hits with kids and adults alike—especially on cold winter days like these, when eating a hearty and rich soup can warm you right down to your toes. (Ahhh!)

By stocking up your food storage with these fine choices, you are prepared for both the big and the little emergencies in life, thanks to Augason Farms and your friends at Macey’s.